Rockwell Collins awarded $12.7M for E-6B Mercury aircraft upgrades

By

James LaPorta

A U.S. Navy Boeing E-6B Mercury airborne command post flies over Solomons Island, Maryland, on November 15, 2014. Photo by U.S. Navy

Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Rockwell Collins Inc. was awarded more than $12.7 million to upgrade communication systems on the U.S. Navy's E-6B Mercury aircraft., which has the ability for command and control authority to launch land and sea based nuclear ballistic missiles.

The deal, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, is under a firm-fixed-price contract, meaning the $12.7 million dollar price tag for technology upgrades will not be adjusted for the benefit of Rockwell Collins if potential additional costs are accumulated while executing the contract.

The Pentagon says the contract will "exercise an option for the installation of Block I/Internet Protocol Bandwidth Expansion Phase 3/Block IA Very Low Transmit Terminal/Nuclear Planning and Execution System kit on one E-6B aircraft."

Moreover, the contract will provide additional support services to the U.S. Navy such as field support engineering and training.

The installation of the new technology will be performed in Oklahoma City, Okla., and in Richardson, Texas, and is expected to be completed in June 2019.

Officials say U.S. Navy aircraft procurement funds from fiscal year 2018 in the amount of more than $12.7 million will be obligated at the time of award, which will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.